Traffic counter



May 11, 1943. v. NQLDE TRAFFIC COUNTER Filed April 12, 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet l FIE EE ATTORNEY May 11, 1943. av, NQLDE 2,319,153

TRAFFIC COUNTER Filed April .12, 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 mu mHr luw 1 I fa, @RRRR Q Patented May 11, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE George V. Noldc, San Francisco, Calif., assignor to Butte Electric Manufacturing 00., San Francisco, Calif., a corporation of California Application April 12, 1940, Serial No. 329,283

4 Claims.

This invention is concerned primarily with counting apparatus and relates more particularly to an improved apparatus for counting vehicular tramc and the like.

Various forms of trafiic counters have been heretofore proposed, for example one having a plurality of treadle-actuated switches which is responsive to concurrent sequential actuation of certain of the switches. With this form of counter inaccurate counts have been caused because the counter is not responsive to small vehicles such as motorcycles, for example, which do not operate the treadle concurrently either because of improper spacing or because of bouncing of a wheel so that an inaccurate count is recorded.

Other forms of proposed trafiic counters using photoelectric cells and constant beams of light which impinge upon the cells, except when interrupted by a passing vehicle, have also been found to produce inaccurate counts, principally because of various factors.

One of these factors is reflection of light from different colored Vehicles or tires which affects the photoelectric relay giving the effect of a noninterrupted light beam or a double-interruption and. causing an entire miss or producing double counts. Also the level of outside illumination changes from morning to night, making it necessary to readjust a constant beam photoelectric system: frequently as to its sensitivity. Further it has been found that humidity and temperature changes affect the insulation condition of the cable connecting the photoelectric cells to the input of the amplifier and such changes in insulation condition may shunt the input and produce misoperation of the'apparatus; Where this con dition has been corrected in such apparatus expensive packing and insulating of all leads, plugs etc. have been necessary. For the above reasons photoelectric traffic counters have not been generally used and have been generally considered to be unsatisfactory.

In accordance with the instant invention, a traflic counting apparatus is provided which is free of the defects noted above and which is not affected by difference in the color of passing vehicles, by temperature or humidity changes, or by the level of outside illumination; Further the apparatus is responsive equally to light and heavy vehicles and will not give a false count from this viewpoint.

It is a general object of the invention, therefore, to provide an accurate and reliable counter for traffic or the like.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved traflic counter in which false counts from uncontrolled causes are eliminated.

Another object of the invention is to provide a trafiic counter which will prevent repeated actuation of the counter so as to cause an incorrect registration if a vehicle moves back and forth in front of the apparatus.

Another object of the invention is to provide a traflic counter which can be used selectively for either direction of traflic without special adjustment.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof as disclosed in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a two-lane installation embodying the instant invention, as for example in a toll gate 01' toll road installation.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged plan view of the counting apparatus with certain of the parts shown diagrammatically, and also shows a plan view of the light producing unit of the counter with the easing broken away to disclose the construction more clearly.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view of both the light unit and the counting'unit of the system.

Fig. 4 is a circuit diagram of the electrical connections.

Fig. 5 i a detailed schematic view of a looking type of relay.

As previously stated the instant invention is shown and described in connection with a typical installation for counting the vehicular traffic passing in the various lanes of a toll station, which, referring to Fig. 1 may include a pair of parallel lanes [0 and H for traffic in either direction" as traflic conditions may require. The lanes lll'and H are separated by a central curb l2 and have side curbs l3 and M, respectively. In the central curb a light source unit I6 is provided which is adapted for cooperation with a pair of counting units Ila and I'll) mounted in' the respective curbs l3 and I4; As shown the light source I6 emits four parallel beams l8 to either side for cooperation with respective counting units Ila and I'll). As shown in Fig. 3,. the beams l8 are closely adjacent the road surface so that they will be intercepted by the lowermost portion of the tire which is in engagement with the road surface.

Light source unit.-Referring' to Figs. 2 and 3, the light source unit includes a casing 21 which may be mounted in arecessed portion 22 of the roadway between adjacent portions of the center curb H2. The casing 2l is provided with a top scribed forms part of a light modulating system.

At its opposite end the cylinder 3! is journalled by a bearing 32 upon a stationary shaft extension 33 of a lamp bracket 34. The shaft extension 33 extends through bearing 32 and is supported by a bracket 36 depending from top plate 23. Adjacent motor 21 bracket 34 is supported by shaft extension 37 journalled by a suitable Bracket 3 3 provides a. mounting for four lamps which may be in the g bearing in cylinder 3!.

form of electric lights 38 which are mounted at equally spaced positions therealong, so as to pro duce the four beams of light l8. y

In accordance with the instant invention these beams of light are of a special character to provide certain advantageous results as noted, and each beam of light is preferably modulated. For this purpose the cylinder 3! is provided with a series of holes 39 about each lamp 38 so that when the device is operating and the cylinder 3! is rotating a chopped light beam is produced. Preferably, the number of apertures in cylinder 3! and its rate of rotation may be controlled to provide a light frequency of from to 40 per second. Preferably each .light beam is made up of a pencil of parallel rays, and for this purpose on either side of each lamp 38 a plane-convex lens M is mounted by a suitable fitting upon a plate 42 depending from top plate 23. Adjacent the row of lenses 4! the side wall of the casing is apertured as at 43 and a pane of glass 44 is mounted. thereon as by brackets 46.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that the light source provides four beams of modulated light transverse to and spaced along the direction of travel of the traffic.

Counting unit-The counting units Ila and Ill), shown in Fig. 1, are identical in construction and the unit Ila will be hereinafter referred to. Unit Ila includes a casing 5| which is seated in a recessed portion 52 of the curb l3 and is provided with a removable top plate 53 and a depending guard 5A across the side thereof facing th light source unit which is apertured as at 56 to permit passage of the beams 18. A side opening in the wall of casing 5| is closed by a pane 51 through which the light beam is transmitted to a special receiving visor 5B in front of a lens 59. The visor 58 is made up of a series of nested tubes 6| which are spaced closely together so as to prevent transmission of any except parallel rays of light.

The lens 59 serves to receive the parallel light beams and to focus such beams upon a photoelectric cell 62 of conventional construction which depends from the relay box 63.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the respective modulated light beams I8 projected from one side of light unit I6 are received, unless interrupted, by an equal number of lenses and are focused upon four photoelectric cells.

Counter circuit-The circuit which is controlled by the light beams referred to above is illustrated more or less schematically in Fig. 4 where the four photoelectric cells are indicated at 62a and 6201, inclusive. In general the photoelectric cells 62a and 62d are conditioning units and serve to insure the proper conditioning of all portions of the circuit for counting operations, while the photoelectric cells 62b and 620 control the actual counting operation in accordance with the sequential operation thereof, although the control may be concurrent without causing a false count.

The photoelectric cells 62a and 62d are connected in series by leads ll and 12 and are also connected thereby to an amplifier 13 of conventional construction and of the type which is responsive only to alternating current or to modulated current. In other words, the output circuit of amplifier 13 will not respond to a direct current input. Similar amplifiers l4 and 15 are associated with the photoelectric cells 62b and 620 respectively.

Associated with the output circuit of the amplifiers 13 to '15 are a plurality of relays 16a, 16b, and 160 respectively having respective normally closed contacts Ila, 71b, and 110 associated therewith. Thus contacts close only when the associated solenoid is de-energized, that is when the associated modulated light beam is interrupted, but are ordinarily held open by the energization of the solenoids 16a to [60 inclusive. The solenoids are sufficiently slow acting so that they are maintained energized by successive impulses of the modulated light beams.

The circuit as shown includes two similar but innerconnected counting systems, which are operated solely in response to the sequence of operation of the four photoelectric cells 62a to 62d. As shown one side of each of contacts Tia, 11b and He are connected to lead 18 which may form the positive side of the input line 19. The input may be either alternating current or direct current. The other sides of contacts 11a and 17b are connected by respective leads Bla, Bib with respective resistors 82a and 821). In series with resistor 82a are a pair of relays 83a, 8411, while relays 83b and 841) are in the series with resistor 8217. From relay 85a, lead 86 extends to negative lead 81 of the line to which the relay 84b is also connected.

Associated with the relay 83a are two pair of normally open contacts 9m and 92a, while the relay 831) has two pair of similar contacts 9|b and 92b associated therewith. The contacts Sla, 9| b, and 92a, 9217 may be of the type shown in Fig. 5 wherein the armature 92 is provided with a mechanical lock 94 which is spring urged to active position to lock the contacts in closed position and may be released upon the energization of the associated solenoid 95. Solenoid 83 is the control solenoid for armature 92. The releasing solenoid for the armatures of contact Sla, 92a is indicated at 95a in Fig. 4, and that for the armatures of contact 9!!) and 92b is indicated at 951).

The relay 84a has contacts 96a of the normally closed type. One contact 96a is connected by lead Slat-with electrically-actuated counter 98a of conventional construction and the other contact 96a is connected with contacts l fl la of'a relay 12a. The contacts lllla are connected in series with counter 98a by lead l03a. Similarly, relay 84b has one of its contacts 96b connected by lead 97b with counter 98b and the other connected with contacts lllib of a relay I021), contacts Ifllb also being connected by lead I031) with counter 98b. The circuits for counters 98a and 981) also include sources of current indicated at 14a and H141), respectively. Contacts lBla and I811) are of the normally open locking type which are locked in closed position and have re* spective releasing solenoids I861; and I862) associated therewith.

The relays I82a, I822), I86a, I862) are Connected by respective leads I8Ia, I812), and common lead I88 with lead 86 extending to the negative side 81 of the line. At their opposite ends, relays I82a, I822) are connected in series by respective leads I89a, I891), with the respective contacts 92a and 92b which in turn are connected by respective leads II Ia and I I ll) with leads 8 Ia and M1) ahead of the resistors 82a and 82b. The respective contacts 9Ia and 9|?) are also connected by respective leads 2a and H21) between resistor 82a and relay 83a, and resistor 82b and relay 83b, respectively.

The releasing solenoids 95a and 95?) are connected at one eide by leads IIBa, IIBZ), Ill and I88 to lead 86 and thence to lead 81 of the line, and at the other side by respective leads II8a and H81) with lead II9 extending to one side of contact 170. The lead H9 is also connected by leads I2I and I22a, I222) with respective pairs of normally open contacts I23a and I231) of the relays IZ ia, I241) in series in the circuit of the counters 98a and 98b. The other side of contacts I23a and I232) are connected by lead I28 to the positive lead I8 of the line. Also associated with the solenoids I24a and I242) are two pair of normally open contacts I28a and I28?) which are connected to the line by lead I2! and at their other sides are connected by leads l29a and I29l) with the releasing solenoids I86a and I86b.

It is thought that the circuit can best be understood with reference to a description of its operation which will now be given.

Assuming that a vehicle is passing from left to right, as viewed in Fig. 4 as indicated by the arrow, so that the vehicle tire will interrupt the light beams I8a, I81), I80 and I8d in succession the following described operations will take place.

Interruption of beam I Be interrupts the current to amplifier I3 and relay I60 so that contacts IIc are closed. This completes the circuit from the lead I8 oi the line through contacts He and lead H9 through two paths. One of these paths is through lead I i 82), releasing solenoid 85b, leads IIBZ), Ill, I88, and 8'6 to the opposite side 8! of the line so that the releasing solenoid 95b is operated. The contacts 9H) and 9211, if previously locked in closed position, will be opened. The other path is through lead I I9, H812. to the solenoid 95a and thence through leads IIfia, III, I88 and 86 to the lead 81. This operates the solenoid 95a which releases the contacts 9la and 82a, if they have been previously locked in from accidental causes, as will be later described.

When the vehicle tire interrupts the beam I82) so that the photoelectric cell 62b and amplifier 14 are deenergized together with the relay 16a, the contacts Tia will close to complete the circuit from the lead I8 of the line to lead 8Ia. From lead 8Ia the current cannot flow through lead IIIZ) because contacts 921) are open, therefore the current proceeds through the resistor 82a and from th resistor it cannot flow through the lead H2?) because the contacts 9Ib are open. Thus the current flows through the relays 83a, 88a and lead 88 back to the other lead 8! of the line. The energization of solenoid 83a closes contact 9Ia and 92a which are locked in closed position. At the same time relay 84a opens contacts 9811 which only remain closed as long as current is established through the resistor 82a and relay 84a because of the interruption of the light beam to the photoelectric cell 62b. The opening of the contacts 96a prevents energization of the counter 98a prematurely.

The closing of contacts 9Ia establishes a shunt circuit through the lead I I 2a ahead of the relays 83b and 84b so that an operative circuit thereto will not be established upon subsequent closing of contacts IIb. Also the closing of contacts 92a prepares a circuit through the lead BIZ), lead I I la, contact 92a, lead I89a, relay IilZa, and leads I8Ia, I88 and 86 back to the lead 87 of the line.

If the vehicle tire subsequently interrupts the beam I so that current no longer flows through photoelectric cell 620 and amplifier l5, relay 16b is deenergized and contacts Ilb are closed to establish a circuit from lead I8 of the line through contacts 171) to lead 8Il) where two parallel branches are available as above described. Because of the resistor 82b and the shunt circuit through lead IIZa, contacts a and lead 88, in sufiicient current will flow through relays 83b and 84b for operation thereof. Current in the circuit established by contacts 772), therefore flows through the lead IIIa, contacts 92a, lead I89a, relay mm, and leads I87a, I88 and 88 back to lead 8! of the line. The energization of relay I82a closes the contacts I8Ia which are locked in closed condition to prepare the counter circuit for a count on the counter 88a when the contacts 98a are closed. Such closing of contacts 95a occurs when the beam I8b is again effective on the photoelectric cell 827) so that the amplifier I4 energizes the relay 16a and opens the contacts 11a to de-energize the relay 84a.

When the counter 93a is operated as a result of the sequential interruption and re-establishing of the beams I8?) and I80, although both may be energized at the same time, counter solenoid I 24a operates to close both sets of contacts E2811 and I 23a. When the contacts are closed a circuit is established from lead I8 of the line through leads I26, contacts I28a, lead I29a, solenoid i86a and leads I8Ia, I83 and 88 back to the other side 8! of the line. This serves to unlock the contacts iflla of the relay I82a to insure only a single count and immediately reconditions these contacts for subsequent operation for another registration. Also, a circuit is established through lead I28, contacts I23a, leads I22a, IZI, II8a, solenoid 95a, and leads II8a, III, I98 and 8G to the lead 8! of the line so that contacts Ella and 92s are unlocked. These re-conditioning circuits insure normalizing of contacts I8 Ia, 9Ia and 92a after a count is made so that the entire circuit is ready for a subsequent count in either direction. For example, if a vehicle should stop, with its tire intercepting beam I80 only after movement in the direction noted, and should roll back, a count would .be registered on counter 98b as will be described.

Subsequently as the beam I8d is interrupted and the amplifier I3 and relay 160 are de-energized so that contacts IIc are closed, a circuit is established from lead I8 of the line through contacts and lead II9 which branches, one branch extending through lead I I8?) through relay 95b to unlock contacts 9 lb and 92b, and leads IIGb, III, I88 and 88. The other branch being through lead II8a, to relay 95a, leads IISa and Ill then through leads I88 and 86 back to the other side 87 of the line. Thus all of the locked contacts are released as the final step in making a count, irrespective of whether the vehicle stops in a beam interrupting position or not.

The operation in case the vehicle passes from right to left as viewed in Fig. 4 is similar to that described, but the closing of contacts 11b conditions the circuit for counter 98b, which is operated when the contacts 11a are closed and the contacts 11b opened.

It is desirable to have the counters 98a and 98b in the same circuit in the event a vehicle tire travels in one direction past the beams I80. to Mid, and then for some reasons is backed through the beams again. In this situation a count is made for each sequential interruption of beams 18b and 180 in either direction, so that at the end of a period of operation the difference in the readings of counters 98a, and 98b can be taken as the correct count for the number of wheels which have passed by the counting apparatus. In addition the circuit as described enables the counting of trafiic in either direction through the same lane in accordance with traflic conditions without special adjustment.

While the counting circuit has been shown under control of photoelectric cells and light beams it may be used with other types of electrical energizing impulses and when this is efiected it is usually desirable to provide an additional amplifier l3| as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 4 having a relay I32 and contacts 133 as- 3 sociated therewith. This amplifier and relay are controlled by suitable energizing means, as for example, photoelectric cell 62a, and the contacts I33 may be connected in parallel with the contacts Ho. The operation is similar except that the initial and final normalizing operations may be tripped independently from separate electrical sources.

I claim:

1. In a system for counting traffic or the like, a counter, a counter circuit, said circuit including normally closed contacts and normally open contacts, a counter controlling circuit including means for closing said normally open contacts and including another set of normally open contacts, a preparing circuit for closing said normally open contacts of said counter controlling circuit, said preparing circuit also including means for opening said normally closed contacts of said counter circuit, locking means associated with each set of normally open contacts to lock said contacts in closed condition, upon closing thereof, and means disposed in the path of trafiic flow for first disabling said locking means, then enabling said preparing circuit, for subsequently enabling said counter controlling circuit, and for thereafter again disabling said locking means.

e 2; In a traific counting system for counting traflic in a traffic'lane, means including at least four control devices actuated by the pass-age of a vehicle in said lane, said devices being spaced apart in the direction of travel,a pair of counting devices adapted to be electrically operated, one

counting device serving to count traffic in one direction and the othercounting device serving to count traflic in the other direction, a circuit network connected to all of said devices and comprising means responsive to actuation of either of the outer control devices for conditioning said circuit network for operating both of said counting devices, and means responsive to seriatim actuation of the intermediate control devices in one direction for operating one of said counters and to seriatim actuation of saidintermediate control devices in the other direction for operating the other of said counters. 3, In a traffic counting system for counting traffic in a trafiic lane, means on one side of said lane forming at least four light beams directed across said lane, and displaced apart in the direction of travel, a light responsive device individual to each of said beams disposed on the other side of said lane to receive light from said beams, a pair of counting devices adapted to be electrically operated, one device serving to count traffic in one direction and the other device serving to count trafiic in the other direction, a circuit network connected to all of said devices and comprising, means responsive to a trafiic interruption of either of the outer light beams for conditioning said circuit network for operating both of said counting devices, and means responsive to seriatim traffic interruption of the intermediate light beams in one direction for operating one of said counters and to seriatim trafiic interruption of said intermediate light beams in the other direction for operating the other of said counters.

4. In a traflic counting system as in claim 3,

in which said network comprises primary relays connected to the light responsive devices receiving said intermediate beams and operated by traflic interruption of the light beams corresponding to the same, secondary self-locking relays connected to be operated by said primary relays and adapted to selectively control the operation of said counters, and means responsive to interruption of either of the outer light beams received by the other two light responsive devices for unlocking said self-locking relays, thus conditioning the same for subsequent operation.

GEORGE V. NOLDE. 

